Now, you know what they say--best laid plans...! However, I've found that the best way to alleviate many complications is to plan, plan, plan in advance!
Each shoot is different, but there are several points that I always carefully consider--location, clothing and posing.
This particular shoot is more of a stylized shoot--in the vein of art portraits, so I have a definite idea about what I'd like to see for the end result and am guiding my subject toward that.
With most shoots, if I haven't been to the location before and it's feasible, I'll visit the areas that I'm considering beforehand. If possible, I try to visit as close to the actual time I'll be shooting as possible, so I can see the lighting and choose the actual places that I'll shoot. If I can't go beforehand, then I like to arrive early to the location and scout it out. I like to choose several locations beforehand and identify where I'll start and end shooting. I try not to start at my favorite spot to give my subjects time to relax in front of the camera.
I also visualize certain poses that I want to accomplish, sometimes making a few sketches or notes to remind myself. Having ideas ahead of time gives me the ability to direct my subject into those poses as well as the ability to shoot the "in between" moments that come naturally. With some sessions, my subjects may have ideas about what they'd like to see happen in their portraits and I carefully consider and plan how to best bring their ideas to life. Sometimes amazing things happen during the session and we veer off from the planning--that's okay too! Don't they also say plans are meant to be broken? (oh, that was rules, rules are meant to be broken!) Anyway...
I hope that gives you a glimpse into the process that happens when you book a session with me. I can't wait to share this shoot with you soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment